Pesto Chicken Pasta Bake (Printable)
Tender chicken and penne tossed in basil pesto cream sauce, baked golden with mozzarella and Parmesan.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 10 oz penne or rigatoni
→ Chicken
02 - 2 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 12 oz), cut into bite-sized pieces
03 - 1 tbsp olive oil
04 - 1/2 tsp salt
05 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
→ Sauce & Seasonings
06 - 1/2 cup basil pesto, homemade or store-bought
07 - 2/3 cup heavy cream
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (optional)
→ Cheese
10 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella
11 - 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
→ Garnish
12 - Fresh basil leaves (optional)
# Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a large baking dish with cooking spray or butter.
02 - Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente, about 1 minute short of package directions. Drain well and set aside.
03 - While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then add to the skillet in a single layer. Sauté for 5 to 6 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature reaches 165°F). Remove from heat.
04 - In a large mixing bowl, toss together the drained pasta, seared chicken, basil pesto, heavy cream, minced garlic, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes until every component is evenly coated.
05 - Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish, spreading it into an even layer. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella evenly across the top, followed by the grated Parmesan.
06 - Place in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and lightly golden on top.
07 - Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes to allow the sauce to set. Garnish with fresh basil leaves if desired, then serve warm.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The cream and pesto sauce comes together without a single saucepan, just a big bowl and a stir.
- It reheats beautifully the next day, making it ideal for lunches that actually make you excited to open the fridge.
- You can swap in whatever protein or vegetables you have, and it still tastes like you tried harder than you did.
02 -
- Undercook your pasta by about one minute because it finishes in the oven and nobody wants a soggy bake.
- Let the assembled dish rest those 5 minutes before serving or the molten cheese will slide right off your serving spoon in a messy heap.
- If you are meal prepping, assemble everything except the cheese topping, refrigerate for up to a day, then add cheese and bake when ready.
03 -
- Taste your pesto before adding salt to the dish because some store bought pestos are already quite salty and you cannot undo an oversalted bake.
- Shred your own mozzarella from a block rather than using pre shredded bags because the anti caking agents on bagged cheese prevent it from melting into that gorgeous, stretchy blanket you see in your head.